Heatwave strikes eastern Australia

Parts of eastern Australia are sweltering as heatwave conditions take hold today.

Temperatures have passed 40 degrees across regional areas today, with the latest weather observations from the Bureau of Meteorology showing tops in excess of 44 degrees in some places.

In Mildura, the temperature is expected to hit 44 degrees today, with 43 expected in Swan Hill and Nhill, 42 in Horsham, 41 in Echuca and 40 in many other cities and towns, including Bendigo, Shepparton, Warrnambool and Rutherglen.

V/Line trains across Victoria will be running at a slower speed, as required when the temperature hits 36 degrees. The speed restrictions occur between noon and 8pm.

NSW Health says a heatwave in Sydney in 2011 was responsible for the deaths of 96 people and has urged people to keep an eye out for vulnerable members of the community over the next few days.

"The heatwave that affected Sydney in February 2011 ... is a stark reminder that extreme heat presents a real and potentially life-threatening risk," said NSW environmental health medical adviser Richard Broome.